Harmony of the Soul
by dan.alexander
Summary: Team Seven gets a rude awakening when a couple of strangers complete their first C-Rank before it even started.  What's worse, one wears a dinner plate for a mask, and both claim to work for the Lord of Death...   Same owner, different username
1. Chapter 1

"Where's the client?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked incredulously, smoking on his pipe with the same habitual, slow intake of air that arose under stressful conditions. As the Hokage, the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, stressful conditions were quite the norm. But today, well, was even more stressful than usual.

First off, team Seven. Four shinobi, three fresh-out-of-the-academy Genin, all twelve years of age, and one Jōnin leader to keep them in line. It was the common, rarely deviated set-up that introduced these ninja to the dangers of the outside world. In this case, it was two top-tier students combined with the lowest of the low.

Sasuke Uchiha, one of only two survivors of a massacre half a decade earlier that annihilated the clan whose surname he bore. In spite of that, and the brooding nature that could probably be attributed to the horrendous tragedy, females of the age group almost unanimously, and completely vainly, sought to gain his affection. Whether it was the unkempt black hair or the body that was honed through the training that took place of any real social interaction, he was deemed attractive by peers of the opposite gender.

The opposite gender included the second top-tier member of the team, Sakura Haruno. Female, and with a thin but soft build that was not entirely suited for the rigors of field reconnaissance, Sakura considered herself the brains of the group: after all, she did score the highest grades in the academy. She also bore bright pink hair that flowed down her back. Although considered by many to be a Haruno trait, the nasty truth was that the Haruno clan had a tendency to put pink dye in the females' shampoo bottles starting at an early age.

And, lastly, the dead-last. With blond hair that was as spiky as his personality, he was the epitome of all things that weren't ninja. For his super-stealthy ninja garb, he wore an orange jacket with a white color and blue on the sleeves, and matching all-orange pants. And, no, this wasn't the subtle type of orange that worked well to camouflage in bare-earth environments. No, this was the type of orange so bright and uncouth that it wouldn't go unnoticed by a blind man. Even the girl's athletic red skirt, and the black-haired kid's navy blue shirt and white shorts, didn't hold a candle to this blonde's wardrobe in terms of being completely anti-ninja, and that, my friends, is pretty darn impressive.

But, considering that he is the star of one of the series that this little story is, er, _borrowing_, it goes without saying that his name is Naruto Uzumaki. He was brilliant, an all-around great guy, and no doubt the greatest ninja to ever adorn these lands since the Sage of the Six Paths. Okay, so the last sentence was a complete and utter fabrication, but it wouldn't stop Naruto from agreeing with it without a moment's hesitation.

To round out this _untraditional_ team was their Jōnin leader, Kakashi Hatake. With one eye covered by his silver-plated headband, his _hitaite_, and the entirely of his face below his exposed eye covered by a thick, deep blue cloth that was tucked past his neck, Kakashi's appearance was probably the most ninja-like of all of them. Even with the silvery hair that stuck out the top of the headband, Kakashi still looked like a true ninja. His clothes, a cloth-armor forest green vest over a black long-sleeve shirt and matching pants, were much more suitable for blending into the environment. The only thing that stood out was also impossibly orange: thesmut novel that took much of the man's attention, even as the four of them stood in the Hokage's office, awaiting their first real mission. That's right: the man was in a formal political office nonchalantly reading what amounts to written _porn_ in front of a high-ranking official, two strangers, and three children.

After a month's worth of pseudo-missions that never got more dangerous than chasing deranged housecats hell-bent on staying away from their obese and obsessive-compulsive owners, they had managed to convince the leader that they were ready for something real.

So, giving in, Hiruzen had asked an old man, their first client, to walk in and introduce himself. He had the entire scenario in his head: an old bridge builder, drunk, would walk in and pick a fight with Naruto in particular, complaining that he wanted not the kids, but actual shinobi. Eventually, they would reluctantly resume the mission, and be out of the Hokage's receding hair for a few weeks.

Too bad that wasn't the case. Usually, Hiruzen had the uncanny ability to sense a bad day long before it came, allowing him ample time to prepare for the unholy chaos that would result.

Today, though, misfortune blind-sighted him, throwing a haymaker so furious that the resulting daze seemed to go on forever. Either the bridge builder was a shinobi capable of producing clones of himself and altering their appearance, or he was replaced by two much younger and much more physically fit men. That, or the haymaker was hard enough to jostle his brain loose. You would be amazed by how much these kind of punches hurt, considering that they are entirely figurative and, hence, not remotely physical.

"Tasuna was escorted back to the land of the waves," said the first man. Standing at just past five-foot-ten, he was the taller, and no doubt older, of the two. Unfortunately, a black mask and matching wardrobe completely masked any and all other features. The cloak itself even ebbed and flowed unnaturally, as if constantly tugged by a tangle of puppeteer's strings, and that only make his physical form more intangible. The only hint of humanity was the strands of blond hair the escaped through the top of the white circular mask and the hood of the cloak. "There were too many other ninja wanting rather desperately to take his life, and I sincerely doubt that a single Genin team would be capable of handling this mission without a great risk to their lives, even with a Jōnin sensei to lead them."

"Well said, Raijin," the younger one said. Like his partner, he was cloaked in a similar, physics-defying cloak, but did not cover his head. He was a few years older than the Genin, but most certainly not an adult. He carried himself like one, though. "A level-A shinobi by the name of Zabuza Momochi and his partner are among Gato's forces, the ones responsible for giving Tazuna and the Land of Waves such hardship." While keeping track of the boy's words, Kakashi took the time to take in the boy's appearance. His face was thin and angular, with unnatural yet striking yellow eyes and shiny black hair that lay flat on his head, banes falling down to his eyes in perfectly kept spikes.

"So, it would have been higher than a C-rank," Hiruzen replied. "While I appreciate your _intervention_, Raijin and…"

"Shin."

"…Shin, I do believe it is my own decision as to whether or not to accept a mission."

"No offense," the presumably older Raijin replied, raising his hand and pointing his finger to the ceiling, demonstrating that the man, or at least his hand, was human. "…but having a bridge builder beg for protection from a bunch of burglars does not exactly raise any red flags. I mean, had we not actually _seen_ Momochi and the gang for ourselves, I doubt we would even be here, at least not yet."

"We'd kick their asses anyway." Naruto jumped up and down. His unimpressive display of machismo didn't impress anyone around him, and only quick reflexes save his head from being caved in by Sakura's fist. Sasuke stood idly by, pondering to himself whether he should feel sorry for Naruto having the negative end of Sakura's outburst, or feeling sorry for Sakura for having such lousy aim.

Kakashi cleared his throat, trying to garner a response from his team. "I'm sorry, but it looks like our C-Rank mission will be postponed. Oh well." Kakashi's voice took on a creepily cheery tone. "It looks like we're back to D-ranks again."

Oh, that was unforgiveable.

"No!" Naruto and Sakura, much to each other's surprise, spoke up simultaneously. The resulting clamor was largely indecipherable, with each Genin trying to overpower the other in terms of vocal intensity, but the general gist was pretty easy to grasp. The empty threats of suicide didn't hurt, either.

"I must ask for forgiveness on behalf of our green Genin," Hiruzen hastily announced, loud enough to bring the noise to a halt, "but they have been antsy for a mission outside the village gates for some time now."

"I'm a teacher at an academy of students not much older than they are," Raijin said. "I'm used to it. I know what it's like."

"Don't forget why we are here, Raijin," Shin pressed.

"Alas, my young lad, I think I have forgotten," Raijin replied. If Hiruzen didn't know any better, he would have sworn that the adolescent's reactive gaze was lethal. At the very least, the potted plants that lined the office would have to be checked just in case. It was either that, or more paperwork, and both jobs seemed about equally productive. Plus, he really didn't want to bury these plants like the last batch, with fell grave to a sudden case of death by office fire. "What was it your father wanted us to do again, kiddo?"

"Why is it that _I _have to do all the work?" Shin cleared his throat. "Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, we would like to make a proposal of offering our services in exchange for shelter in the village and, should the right opportunity come, to create an extension of our academy within the village walls."

Hiruzen raised his eyebrow, both in suspicion and in curiosity. "I take it, when you mean _services_, you mean contributing as shinobi."

"No," Shin said curtly.

"Actually, partly," Raijin contradicted. "If you like, we can demonstrate our skills at a later time. Shin here isn't so good with stealth, but you'll find me more than capable as a Chūnin, possibly a Jōnin if you are willing to tolerate me being a little rusty at first."

"You have training as a shinobi?" Shin asked. Apparently, the two didn't know each other particularly well. "Father never mentioned that to me."

"It rarely comes up." He turned back to the Hokage, whom had been listening while the two exchanged words. A gut feeling was telling him that something was _very_ off about Raijin in particular. Granted, they were both wearing those black cloaks, and Raijin didn't even have the manners to take off his mask, so the fact that he was only getting an "off" feeling, instead of the instinct to fight, was almost troubling in and of itself. "Shin's a street fighter, and a darn good one too."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Raijin, Shin, you two are both very good at one thing: skirting the real issue here."

"Says the one holding standing in the Hokage's office brandishing a porno," Raijin snarked. "But, nonetheless, you are correct, White Hair."

Kakashi's reply was cool, collected, and without a moment's hesitation. "The name's Kakashi Hatake, not White-Hair."

"Kakashi?" Raijin repeated, mulling over the term. It was impossible to determine any expression through the mask, and that fact was unnerving Kakashi. At least _his_ mask was cloth, and he could convey whatever emotions he wanted to with nothing more than his one exposed eye. And that emotion was curiosity. Namely, Raijin's mask was way to shiny and circular to actually be a mask, and its shape looked far too much like the bottom of a black dinner plate with eyeholes drilled into it. "In either case, I'm actually glad your team is here, Mister Hatake. An idea just came to me, actually."

"And that is?" Sakura chirped. For some reason, she was smitten by Shin in particular. Dark in appearance, no dark dark in personality, it was as if Shin was a lankier, yellow-eyed, less depressed Sasuke that actually knew the definition of a haircut. _No_, she thought to herself, _Sasuke still comes first._

"I meant to put it off until later, but the opportunity is too much to pass up." Raijin paused for dramatic effect, holding a flashy pose with his arms raised. Alas, his sense of dramatic timing seemed to be running out of batteries, as the silence lasted way too long and the pose slowly sagged. "I'm going to resume my work as a teacher of the Academy, and teach one of these Genin."

"You know you need to ask my father's permission…" Shin was interrupted when Raijin clapped his hands together.

"No, I won't. You will." Raijin replied. Shin groaned, before coming to the realization that Raijin was not talking directly to him.

"I am dreading this more and more. As long as I'm here, I am not going to allow you to start coming up with one of your crazy schemes. I think dad is starting to rub off on you the wrong way."

"He _is_ good with the kids. Besides, I know the perfect solution to this dilemma. Hey, kiddo, I need you to do something for me." Raijin bent over, and whispered something into Shin's ear.

What happened next was nothing less than a melt-down for the record books. Shin appeared to completely ignore the words he received. As Raijin set forth to converse with the team on the effects of high sodium intake on a hot summer day, Shin began to visibly quiver, muttering under his breath like a madman. Before long, the kid was on the ground, his hands clasped over his temples like a vice, trembling. Finally, he gave in.

"I swear, Raijin, I know you are lying! I… I have to go use the restroom!" With that, Shin fled at superhuman speeds, much to the amazement of the observers, and the amusement of Raijin.

"What, exactly, did you do?" Hiruzen asked after regaining his composure.

"I told him that I had accidentally left a sock on the floor of the hotel room. That should buy us a few hours."

Naruto guffawed. "He's a neat freak, huh? That's pathetic. And, on top of that, what kind of mask is that? I see a bunch of shinobi with animal masks. What is yours?"

"I call it 'Dinner Plate with Eyeholes'. I needed to improvise, and this was all the hotel had. As for shin, you have no idea. But, let's not talk about use. Which of you green Genin is the worst of your team? Kakashi, you stay out of it."

Both Hiruzen and Kakashi stepped forward to protest, but were interrupted by the sound of two of the Genin: in particular, the sound resulting from the interaction of one girl's fist and one boy's forehead. Apparently, for Sakura, throwing punches was easier than pointing fingers. Sasuke made no attempt to intervene, again, and instead looked on the boy with a small amount of pity and a significantly stronger sense of annoyance. His vote was set as well. Regardless of what Naruto thought, he was outvoted two to one. Unless Naruto would somehow vote for himself, for which the decision would then become unanimous.

"Good, that's settled. Naruto, in a few days, with your Hokage's permission, and the permission of my boss, I would like to train you for a few months. But first, you'll have to complete a small test."

"I blatantly refuse," Hiruzen interrupted. "You are an outsider to this village. I will not allow you to interact with Naruto, or any of our Genin, for an extended period of time until you have sufficiently proven your intentions as genuine."

"I can assure you, that it will not take very long," Raijin said. "I have quite the compelling argument that I can give you. In the meantime, I need to give Naruto this. Use it first thing in the morning, but make sure you clean up first."

Nightfall had come and gone. Anxiety had made for a fitfull night, and thus Naruto was still fighting off some grogginess, but he had promptly dressed himself the moment the first ray of sunlight made it through his window.

As the man had instructed, he spent the next several minute going through his morning routine, taking a long shower in hopes that the heat would clear up his head (it didn't, really). Not bothering with breakfast, Naruto decided to open the brown paper envelope that the stranger gave him. Inside was a piece of paper, and an oddly bluish purple crayon with a skull on the paper that wrapped around it.

Didn't seem particularly harmful, so, out of boredom, he decided to unfold the paper and begin reading. Before long, his face fell.

"What kind of joke is this? Yes, I know the crayon washes off, but seriously! And why did he say for me to dress up?" Annoyed, Naruto reluctantly walked to his restroom, determined, if for no other reason than the complete lack of anything to do today, to just see what would happen. If this was for naught, there was one masked adult that will be getting the beating of his life. When Naruto found himself in front of his sink, looking deeply into his mirror, he couldn't help but feel some unease. What happened if this worked? Heck, how would he be able to tell if anything happened?

Well, it was better now than never. Crayon in hand, Naruto copied the list of numbers on his piece of paper directly on the mirror.

And…

…

…

Absolutely nothing. Naruto sat around for over a minute, and the only thing that changed over that time was Naruto's growing impatience.

_Oh, Raijin is dead!_

"Hello?"

The voice completely startled Naruto. Slowly, Naruto turned to the mirror. Instead of himself staring back, it was the bust of another black-cloaked figure, but instead of a dinner plate, the new person's mask was much more suitable: a jaw-less, deformed skull with three long, pointed teeth pointing down to about where the neck was, although it was hard to gauge exactly where the neck would actually be. Although the eyeholes were quite large, within them was pitch black.

That, however, was probably the scariest thing about what he was seeing, though. The black cloak, rather than ebbing and flowing, was angular and jagged, pointed at the shoulders, neck, and head. On top of the head, the cloth folded into itself like a piece of paper, ending in a sharp point on the top. Lastly, the man's hands, which were clasped in front of him, were extremely large and boxy, not unlike those foam fingers one sees at spectator sports events, and stark white.

"Uzumaki, is it?" To top it all off, the man's voice was high-pitched, and bounced around in a playful tone. "I just had a little personal moment with one of my staff, so sorry for taking so long to answer. Raijin said that he had taken you on as his pupil. I must say, you must have had quite the impact on him, I do believe."

Naruto didn't answer. One, he wasn't quite sure of what to make of the man. Two, he wasn't sure what to make of becoming a student of someone he didn't know. And, three, he was still wrapping his mind around the fact that he was talking to something through his own mirror. All of which were pretty understandable given the circumstances.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," he said. "I am Shinigami, Lord of Death. I'm glad to meet your acquaintance, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Uh, huh…" Naruto nodded. The Lord of Death… sure…

"I must say, though, it is quite rare for students to contact me directly without the supervision of their teachers. I find it quite refreshing actually, seeing someone build the courage to talk to me. Shows great courage."

"I'm sorry," Naruto stammered, "but I didn't even know what would happen if I wrote on the mirror. I wasn't expecting this." Thinking quickly, he forced his hands together. "Of course, this has to be an illusion!" He focused, until subtle warmth enveloped his hands. "Illusion, release! Be gone! I'm tired of this prank! Mercy! I call uncle!"

"Sorry, but that isn't going to work," Shinigami warned jovially. "This is no illusion, you see. If I could leave the city, I would come and personally introduce myself, so I hope that Raijin and Kiddo aren't treating you too badly. Unfortunately, I'm bound to this city, and have been for several hundred years now." Shinigami sighed to himself. Even the eyeholes of his mask furrowed in exasperation. "That's now beside the point. What is important is that you begin your training posthaste. Raijin is one of my most powerful weapons."

"Weapons?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to elaborate. You see, there are humans in this world who can transform themselves into weapons. Both of Kiddo's partners, for example, are weapons, as is Raijin. In fact, Raijin is one of my most powerful, so much so that he is officially referred to as a Death Scythe, of which there are less than a dozen in the entire world. And, no, he isn't actually a scythe, just to let you know. Nonetheless, I think he will prove to be most beneficial to you, Naruto."


	2. Chapter 2

A few months had passed, and Team Seven had been spending more time training than taking missions. They took on no new C-ranks in the time, which put them behind the other teams that graduated from the exam that year. Instead, the time had been put into training: with Naruto spending most of his time training with Raijin, that meant Kakashi had to divide his attention between one fewer students, and the increased focus paid dividends.

For one, Sakura could actually defend herself, now. The effects of an increasingly physical regimen were subtle, and any time that wasn't spent on physical endurance was spent on what should have been her specialty from the start: illusion techniques, also called _genjutsu_. Sasuke's abilities didn't show as dramatic of an improvement, but they were there, mostly in an increase in agility and precision.

Naruto's training was taking longer than the others to show through, but progress was being made. Like the others, Naruto was improving in close-range combat, learning the basics of weapon handling. In addition to the standard repertoire of kunai and shuriken, he was increasingly relying on longer-reaching weapons. His staple weapon was an elongated, thin kunai with a white rubber-wound handle long enough to be wielded using two hands but overall still thin enough to be wielded using one, although with some difficulty. Overall, the sharp end of the kunai blade was a foot and a half long, and the handle was just as long. The finger hole that was on the base of standard kunai was replaced with a loop large enough to be grasped by Naruto's hand and acted as a counterweight. He was still not particularly avid at it yet, but, as the old adage goes, the Land of Fire wasn't built in a day (although most of the forest that makes it up _was_ grown in a day, thanks to one late Hokage's wood-release ninjutsu and surprisingly deep chakra reserves).

They were still a Genin team, make no mistake, but each member's eccentricities were beginning to add a unique flavor to what would be a very specialized team. It was unfortunate that the specialty had to be in combat: unless their skills improved quickly, they were among the teams at greatest risk of getting killed very early in their careers. This was not lost on Kakashi or the Hokage, which was one of the main reasons that none of the members had taken on missions recently.

But, the time had to come for another C-rank mission to come along, and it had an air of familiarity to it.

The threat once thought gone in the Land of Waves had resurfaced. In response to Shin and Raijin's words, Hiruzen had sent a team of Chūnin and Jōnin to check on the land, and had driven Gato out without so much as a conflict. But it was all a ruse, as Gato's forces returned en masse, doubling up on their clampdown on the country. The country's citizens were once again on the verge of starvation, and recent investigations into the recently proclaimed Land of Sound stretched the shinobi ranks quite thin.

Two teams were formed. One was Kakashi Hatake, along with the two temporaries: Shin and Raijin. Raijin had still never revealed what was under his mask to no one but the Hokage and Shin, and both were completely mum whenever the subject was brought up. Shin's physical appearance had changed, though: three horizontal white stripes ran across the ride side of his hair, winding right to the back. He had stated numerous times that those stripes would be the end of him, but no amount of hair dye would leave them hidden for more than a few days. Even dipping his head in black paint did no good, something he did years ago: that resulted in months of psychological evaluation and therapy. It was natural that the dye he used the day before entering the Leaf wouldn't last long, but he had hoped that the new radical formula would work. Instead, it left his scalp itching and flaking for weeks, and the stripes were kept at bay for a maximum of three days.

He finally dropped his moniker and took on his real name: Death. His official name was Death the Second (as Shinigami was the first Death), but he was much more frequently referred to as Death the Kid, or simply "Kid". The Hokage learned that after he had signed that name on the legal form that formally admitted them into the service. Being the perfection that he is, Kid spent almost half the day making sure that signature was perfect. It was, too: no typesetter could match the perfect edges and even tone. But such obsessive behavior was going to be a major cause for concern, that much the Hokage knew, and Raijin confirmed. The perfectly pressed tuxedo that Kid wore in lieu of the old cloak further accentuated the ridiculous need for perfection.

To round out the team, and to keep Kids' compulsions in check, where his two weapons, Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson. Donned in old-West American attire, complete with gray cowboy hats, the two sisters were loyal partners, and had been for years. Alas, against Kid's yearning desire for symmetry, the two of them were anything but identical. Elizabeth, or "Liz", was taller, leaner, and her brown hair flowed down her back. Patricia, or "Patti", was the opposite: small, slightly bustier, and with blonde hair cut haphazardly around the neckline and brow-lines.

The five of them were on an A-rank mission: to, in any way they can, permanently remove Gato and his men from becoming a threat to the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire, the latter within which the Village Hidden in the Leaves resided. The Genin of Team Seven were on a complementary C-rank mission, to defend the bridge that was being built from any forces that may sneak past Kakashi and his men, mostly thugs with garden tools whose strength lied in their numbers far more than their skills. It wasn't glamorous, but it beat laundry duty.

And, until they reached the Land of Waves, all eight of them were traveling together. It was a single day's trip: since they took off before the morning light, they would reach the bay by nightfall, and reach the Land of Waves under the cover of darkness and, if the weather cooperated, a thick fog. Plus, there was no need for a civilian to tag along, allowing much swifter progress.

Alas, things were going _exactly_ as smoothly as predicted, and Naruto in particular was losing patience with the lack of stimulation. It would not be long until his patience wore thin.

"How long does this actually take to get there?" He blurted aloud. His team was moving at a respectable pace, although most of that was because the shinobi were forced to keep up with Kid, who had instead relied on Beelzebub to travel. Beelzebub was his skateboard, which, inexplicably, had no trouble rolling on the packed dirt and occasional rubble of the dirt path that lead to their destination. Liz and Patty also didn't have to travel on their feet: they had assumed their weapons forms, two silver semi-automatic pistols, and were being carried along for the ride. Raijin had remarked that we wanted to do the same, but ultimately opted against it.

Over the last months, Naruto had the opportunity to wield Raijin's weapon form, but wasn't effective yet. The training regimen involved a process called syncing: every person's soul, and in effect their chakras, emitted a combination of frequencies much like sound. If two people, possible a weapon and their wielder, had chakras that had the same baseline wavelength, and could get the waveforms in perfect phase, the two powers would combine constructively and increase the pair's abilities dramatically. Be slightly off, though, and the power fluctuates and ultimately breaks down. It was fortunate that Raijin and Naruto had compatible frequencies – it was this reason that Raijin was insistent on training the boy, not the thinly-veiled excuse that Naruto was the worst on his team (which he was) – but they had not achieved this "Soul Resonance" to nearly its full extent.

There was another consequence to attempting soul resonance, though, and a very eerie one for, you see, Naruto had the unfortunate curse of being the vessel of a powerful demonic creature, the infamous Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that had attacked the village on the same day that Naruto was born. It was also the day that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, died as a result, forcing Hiruzen to retake the post after retiring some years before.

To achieve soul resonance, one had to first detect and amplify the base frequency of one's own chakra. The consequence for Naruto was that, in amplifying his own chakra, something else inside of him responded. He could tell because of the odd sensation that rattled his body, a combination of numbness and tingling that Raijin asserted was not a direct consequence of the training.

The Fox's chakra isn't resonating: if that were the case, the foreign chakra would surge through him. In fact, there was no apparent response, at least not immediately, from the demon. As the training went on, though, Naruto found that his control over basic ninjutsu, namely the transformation technique, get shot to hell during and after any attempts at resonating with Raijin. Worst yet, during each training session, the recovery time became longer and longer. This greatly concerned Raijin. For all intents and purposes, the opposite should be happening: weapons and meisters generally gain slight increases in their abilities after the effects of resonance wears off, assuming that stamina hasn't been depleted in that time.

Both Raijin and Naruto consulted the Hokage on this dilemma, only to hear that, should the problem continue, then their training would have to be swiftly put to an end. Raijin left confused, but Naruto suspected, and was later given affirmation, that the Demon Fox was the primary motivation for that decision.

Naruto would have none of that, and continued training in secret. Given that he was just a Genin, his ability to keep his secret training an actual secret was all but absent, and Raijin and Hiruzen both caught wind of the young blonde's stubborn defiance. Fortunately, Naruto was noticeably more cautious in his future training sessions, keeping tabs on his chakra, and his physical and emotional state, when attempting amplification. At least, he did so subconsciously; the only thought that ever ran though his head was "slow and steady" and it took all of his miniscule discipline to achieve that much.

"Given the location of the sun, I would say that it is somewhere between two and three in the afternoon," Kakashi remarked. "That leaves us about six hours to reach the water, and another two to three after that to reach our destination."

"According to my watch, it is precisely two-forty-six," Raijin snarked. "Seriously, I understand the need to be able to track time, but a watch is still pretty handy."

"What happens when your watch breaks?" Kakashi countered.

"What happens when you are stuck indoors, in a dark forest, or someplace where the sun doesn't shine?"

"Touché."

Naruto paid no mind to the conversation, in spite of the fact that he had started the conversation. His focus instead was on his own training: more precisely, why he was so stubborn in soul resonance. There were two reasons: one, his instincts told him that something good was coming out of it. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something was absolutely _driving _him to complete it, like someone's very life depended on his success.

The second reason was that, while not necessary on a chakra-based level, the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of him _was_ reacting. More specifically, the fox really hated it for some reason. A few times, Naruto heard groaning and pained growling in his head, which he readily attributed to the fox. A lot more frequently, though, the seal on his stomach, the swirl of chakra-fortified ink that held the demon at bay, would become hot. Not a painful hot, mind you, but warm enough to be just short of uncomfortable. All of the time, he would become slightly nauseous whenever he trained.

At one time, though, he had managed to focus on the seal itself, and had come face-to-face with the Fox within him, the same two-hundred-foot-plus behemoth responsible for the deaths of countless people, the same fox that, if legend was correct, could smash mountains with a single swipe of one of its long tails. The same orange and black, red-eyed nine-tailed fox whose ears were so elongated that it didn't seem out of place on a gargantuan television set.

Hey, something had to detract from the appearance of being the complete reincarnation of Hell and, quite frankly, they didn't do a good job as a distraction, if Naruto being scared to the point of paralysis was any indication. At least Naruto could put on a brave face when confronting the fox within what had to have been Naruto's mindscape.

To top it off, the fox, or at least its visage, was putting all of its weight into breaking free. The fox of legend, at least as told of recollections of the Fourth Hokage's fight, was cunning, malicious, and powerful, destructive but not reckless, biding its time and making every move with deliberate calculation. It was this cleverness, rather than raw power, that forced the Hokage to sacrifice his life. A simple, mindless beast would have fallen for the numerous traps that were set to capture it, allowing enough time to vanquish the beast without loss of human life.

However, what Naruto saw was a crazed animal. Rabid would have been a fitting term: snarling, panicked, and bashing every part of his body against the bars so hard that several tails, as well as the top of the beast's head, were slowly seeping blood. All the while, the beast was dedicating every breath to muttering blasphemies, shouting rather creative strings of foul language and insults, and, more than once, pleading for the pain to stop.

When Naruto came to the conclusion that this was a result of soul resonance, he did the first thing he thought: he continued his training. It seemed almost fitting that the beast would suffer in the same vain that Naruto did as a result of having it sealed within him.

Sarutobi started to notice that Naruto trained with what could be described as an evil gleam in his eye, and quickly grew worried. When Naruto explained his confrontation of the fox, and the fox's supposed _punishment_, that worried the old man even more. At the same time, though, it meant that Naruto asserted some form of mental dominance over the beast; therefore, the beast did not control him, at least not yet.

Naruto, returning to the present, mused to himself, figuring that the fox would not be the only fully-crazed nutjob that he would have to deal with.

"Hello, everybody. I present to all of you the pristine gift of _your imminent demise!_"

Well, speak of the devil, figuratively speaking.

Kakashi was the first to openly and audibly speak the words that were hanging over everyone's head. "Who's this maniac?" They had stopped, staring at what would, by at least a significant stretch of the imagination, be a ninja. He wore a one-piece, skin-tight jumpsuit, stretching from his angles and wrists up to his eyes, similar in vain to Kakashi's. He also wore a scarf around the neck, and two threads hung from the knot in the back of his headband clear to his knees. His face was visibly scarred in multiple places, as where the man's exposed hands and feet. To a few people, he would be instantly recognizable by these scars.

For everyone who wasn't colorblind, the crimson red jumpsuit and hot pink headband and scarf were more obvious giveaways. The only part that wasn't a threat to the retinas of any passerby where the black sheaths on the man's back that held two ninjatō.

"Wow," Sasuke said flatly, his normal dry and brooding wit completely eluding him. "I, uh, don't know what to say."

"You won't be saying anything after a while. Don't worry, none of my victims have ever complained after I killed them."

"Of course they don't," Kid said nonchalantly. Sakura made a quick note of how calm and collected Kid behaved, compared to the rest. Kakashi, in spite of his experience, had difficulty looking at the guy, while Raijin didn't even make an attempt for fear of going blind. Sakura was struggling not to cry, the pain of holding her laughter in too great. Naruto, on the other hand, rubbed his eyes like some lab student who had spilled a vial of hydrochloric acid on his face. "The dead don't speak."

"Oh, they don't? Well, that explains a lot. I mean, they do speak a lot just _before_ dying, but dialog between me puncturing their kidneys and them falling to the ground is generally like 'Yearrgh! It hurts! It hurts!', combined with a few empty threats, ear-piercing screaming, and iterating all the regrets they hand or how they will be avenged. One hipster even spent his last seconds of life making jabs at my mother: that was my personal favorite."

"Kakashi, be warned." Raijin still kept his back to the newcomer, but retained a calm and focused attitude. "He's mad."

"The wardrobe makes that kind of obvious," Kakashi replied. "I figured that when my vision was flooded with red and pink."

"Raijin's not simply referring to the hideous clothing," Kid said. "He's crazy in every sense of the word. Madness has engulfed his very soul and his rolling off of him so abundantly that I can literally see it. He probably has no regard for his own safety. He's also very strong: let Raijin and I handle this while the rest of you move on. Raijin's a Death Scythe, and I'm the son of the Shinigami, so we can withstand this a lot longer than you can."

"Son of the Shinigami," Kakashi repeated. "If I knew any better, I would honestly guess that you were actually thinking I would fall for that."

"Kakashi, let's go," Naruto pleaded. "They're not joking. Even I can feel it, and it isn't human. And, yes, Death the Kid there is Lord Death's son. I've met the Shinigami myself."

"Kakashi, go," Raijin said. He finally was facing his opponent directly. Kakashi admired that, after all this time, Raijin still had the audacity to wear a dinner plate for a mask, although he had replaced his black one with a more expensive ivory dish. "We'll take care of this, and catch up with you before you reach the docks."

"All right," Kakashi relented. "And Naruto, now is not a good time for jokes."


	3. Chapter 3

All right, _now _they were curious.

Kakashi had dismissed Kid's and Naruto's claims about their familiarity to the Shinigami with a wave of the hand and the roll of his eyes (or at least, the roll of his exposed eye. No one was even sure if there is another eye hidden on the left side of his face beneath the lowered headband), but Sakura constantly badgered Naruto for details, at least until Naruto let it slip that he contacted the Death God through his mirror.

Now Sakura was pestering Naruto to arrange a meeting between the Genin and Shinigami, and Naruto resisted fiercely. Sasuke, although not resorting to Sakura's stubborn bickering, too expressed interest. He wasn't as believing as Sakura, but, seeing the circumstances, and knowing Naruto, there had to be credence to the story. It wasn't that Naruto would never lie, but that Naruto could never lie well. It was easier for Naruto to keep a secret than cover one up, and Naruto's insistence on that he was truthful was uncharacteristically convincing.

"I don't think it is a good idea," Naruto said. "He's the freaking Lord of freaking Death. You don't just waltz up and say 'How to you do'! He's got more important things to do!"

"Like?" Sakura asked.

"He's the _Lord of Death!_" Naruto repeated, putting emphasis on the last three syllables. "You can probably guess what he's busy doing. Otherwise, I don't know, and I would sooner not want to find out."

"But you've met him," Sakura went on. "What's he like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Personality-wise. I mean, when I think of the Shinigami, I think of some vengeful god who lusts for nothing other than to rip the souls out of people and make them suffer for all eternity."

Naruto grimaced at that image. He, nonetheless, agreed that the viewpoint was pretty common, at least among those who have not (and, by some standard, were fortunate enough to have not) met the Shinigami in person. However, Naruto had the perfect explanation. "Sakura-chan, what is Kid like?"

To Naruto's disgust, Sakura's eyes suddenly went dreamy. It was like her pursuits for Sasuke all over again, just slightly less so. Perhaps the only reason she wasn't like this twenty-four-seven was not to embarrass herself in front of her crush. "He's cool, calm, collective, authoritative, mature, and, honestly a little intimidating."

"Perfect," Naruto said. "Now, the only thing you need to do to understand the Shinigami is to remember that he is the exact opposite."

Sakura balked. "What?"

Even Sasuke blanched, even if only for an instant.

Naruto breathed heavily, sighed, and started his explanation. "From what I learned from Raijin, he wasn't always like this. About a millennium ago, that's a thousand years…" That smart remark earned Naruto a painful pound to the head. He nonetheless continued undaunted. "The Shinigami was much darker. Not evil, but cold and ruthless. He even ripped off the skin of one of his comrades, formed it into a giant bag, and put the rest of him inside of it to stave off the madness that he had and that was infecting everyone around him."

"Gruesome," Sasuke replied.

"He got so dangerous, that the Shinigami sealed him underground, and an entire city was built on top of it to make sure he didn't get out. He got out a few years ago, but someone finally beat him for good. Shinigami's soul remains bound to the city, though, at least until either everyone moves out or the Shinigami finally is able to separate himself from Death City; in either case, it will be hundreds of years before he can travel again."

"If he can't move from Death City," Sasuke replied, "then how was this Asura person defeated?"

"In Death City, there's place that trains kids our age to fight: the Death Weapon Meister Academy. Basically, stop people like Asura, _kishin_ that spread madness and whatnot all over the place."

The four of them simply sat, along with the drivers of the two boats that would be taking them into town. They had made good time; the sun was still hanging over the horizon, meaning the trip took a full half-hour less time than expected. Their couriers were not scheduled to leave until at least an hour after sundown, allowing for any unexpected surprises. The rosy red assassin was about as unexpected and surprising as they got.

Fortunately, Raijin and Kid, the later whom was trailed by Liz and Patty, arrived just as the sun set, and the seven of them, as well as the two sailors, took off in swift fashion. At this point, it was better to have the engine running at full power and outrun the shipping blockades than to try to sneak past. Gato's patrols were wide, but most were suited to taking down merchant ships, not small and nimble fishing boats, and the shinobi were thusly ignored. Kakashi, for good measure, had his head in a paper bag, while the Genin removed and hid their hitaite. Those that suspected Raijin quickly retracted their thoughts when they discovered that the mask he wore was round, porcelain, and more suited for filling one's face with food than covering it up, and they went merrily on their way.

Raijin's madness had a reason to it after all.

"So, how often do you talk to the God of Death?" Sakura whispered. It was fortunate to her, and most unfortunate to Naruto, that they got the same boat, along with Kid and his weapons, while the others road in another vessel alongside. It allowed more opportunity for pestering.

"Every Saturday morning," Naruto replied. "He always asks me about my training, always tells me to look after Raijin and Kid. I'm not their babysitter. I end up always talking about my team, my training, how much Kakashi can NOT keep his nose out of that book of his. I do not want to get in between Kakashi and Shinigami when that comes up."

"Are you sure?"

Naruto paused. "I take that back. I would _love_ to see Shinigami rip Kakashi a new one."

"Oh yes, today is Friday. That means you'll miss your conference with him."

"Nope," Naruto said, holding up the purple crayon that Raijin had given him so long ago. "I said that I contact him through my mirror, but the truth is, it works with _any_ mirror. You just have to have the right password."

"And those are?"

"Forty-two, forty-two, five-six-four, whenever you want to knock on Death's door," Naruto replied. "It's supposed to work on any reflective surface, and I shouldn't even need the crayon, but Raijin says the reception here is really bad, whatever that means, so this is the only way to call him for now."

"So you are going to go to another mirror and call him from there," Sakura said. "In that case, I'm going to talk to him as well."

"I, uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Naruto stammered.

Sakura was beginning to protest, but Kid, who was standing at the bow of the boat, interjected. "Father would actually prefer it if you introduced your friends, Uzumaki. Since you are training under Raijin, Father regards you as a student of the DWMA, although you are not officially one yet. Even Sid has taking a liking to you."

"Sid?" Sakura asked.

Liz replied, "One of the teachers at the academy; a trained assassin, survivalist, and physical education guru. If you need to gain battle skills, he is the best one to ask."

"He uses all sorts of cool weapons and blows stuff up!" Patty cheered, as all the other members, boat operator included, shushed for her to keep her volume down. She sat back down, quiet but totally and completely unashamed.

Kid nodded his head. "Naruto has spoken with him a few times."

"He's really a good guy," Naruto said. "I mean, he can look intimidating, with the dreadlocks and the battle clothes he always wears, but he's really approachable."

"He sounds a lot more normal than Shinigami," Sakura stated.

"Not by much," Kid explained, "considering that he actually _died_ four years ago, and the only reason he still teaches is that Doctor Stein turned him into a zombie. If you have any doubt, his blue skin and the hole in his head are dead giveaways." Kid grimaced at his own unintentional pun.

Naruto grinned. "Don't you mean _undead_ giveaways?"

Sakura shivered. "I take that back. Maybe I don't want to meet him."

Naruto suddenly had an idea come to his head. "What happened to the freaky looking guy you guys fought?"

"He put up a good fight," Kid replied, "but before Raijin and I began fighting in earnest, he simply up and left. Slippery bastard, too; we lost his trail in moments. It's too bad neither of us are good trackers, and he somehow concealed his soul in the process. No doubt we'll see him again."

# # #

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kid, and Raijin all gathered in the main room of Tazuna's house. It was a quaint place, small, with carved wood furnishings and a fireplace with a small flame lit. The Genin had spent the night here while the others, save for the homeowner and his family, had spent the night sleeping under the stars. While Raijin had convinced Kid to also spend the night outside, both of them were regretting it, as an unexpected cold front swept through the region overnight, dropping temperatures to well below t-shirt weather, an unusual occurrence in the middle of August, and the misty fog did nothing to ease the coughing fits that the two of them received.

Kid, in the most serious and dire tone that his mucus-filled voicebox could muster, said he would kill Raijin as soon as the mission came to its conclusion.

But here, the five of them stood around, as Naruto used his crayon to draw "42-42-564" on the mirror hanging on the wall. As usual, there was a long pause before the mirror flashed. When the light died down, sure enough, there was the black-robed, white-masked Shinigami standing on the other side.

Sakura and Sasuke both had to do a double take. Sakura even went ahead as to attempt to dispel the image like an illusion, much like Naruto had done the first time. Sasuke, on the other hand, just sighed to himself. Things were about to get really complicated.

"So these must be your two teammates," the Shinigami began. "Is it correct to say that the black-haired one is Sakura?"

The reaction was varied and quite swift. Raijin and Kid simply deadpanned and sighed. Sakura balked and, almost comically, stumbled in place, before glaring at Shinigami with an impressive amount of murderous intent for someone so young over a topic so shallow. Sasuke suddenly thought that there was something caught in his throat, if the desperate hacking and coughing was any indication. Naruto's palm went straight to his forehead.

"Shinigami…"

The Lord of Death simply shrugged. "Sorry, had to break the ice somehow, ya' know. So, this is your team? You seem to be missing your sensei."

"Kakashi-sensei is out," Sasuke replied. "He should be here momentarily."

"I know better than to count on that, Sasuke. I am well aware of his chronic tardiness, as well as his habits involving, well, less appropriate literature. If you ever see him, let him know that, if I spot him reading that book near minors, I will not hesitate to order Kiddo and Raijin here to take appropriate action, and that I'll let them decide on exactly what constitutes _appropriate_. Anyhoo, we have more urgent topics to discuss. Kid, you contacted me earlier about the swordsman you saw earlier. I believe I may know his identity."

"Are you certain?" Kid asked.

"Yes. Now, Naruto, how is your training coming along?"

Naruto had no chance to reply, as Raijin interrupted. "Please, Shinigami, can you stay on topic? I have reason to suspect that he is related to our current mission."

"Ah, yes, the one assigned to you by Hiruzen. Now, where do I start?" A brief pause. "Ah, that will do nicely." Clearing his throat, he began.

"His name is Shiratoma. Several generations ago, he was one of my best students, a meister of unmatched intellect and skill with a specialty in short swords and knives. He especially was good at sabotage and stealth missions, so much so that I earnestly believe he originated from the elemental nations some time ago."

"So he is very old," Naruto asked.

"A hundred and thirty six years old, give or take a year or two. You see, after working for the DWMA for about twenty years, he disappeared, never to return. However, what is important is that, during the last months of his life here, he was caught experimenting with black matter which eventually led to his expulsion from the academy."

"You mean, like black blood?" Kid asked.

"Black blood?" Naruto and Sakura both asked.

Shinigami explained. "Black blood is an artificial substance that can replace a person's normal blood. It vastly improves the patient's lifespan, physical prowess, and possibly even intellect if certain compatibility criteria are met. However, the real purpose of black blood is threefold: to drive a person mad, to instill an insatiable urge for power, and cause the person to hunt and devour human souls to obtain that power. Black matter is the predecessor to black blood. It is much simpler, both in principle, composition, and in purpose: it simply instills increased physical abilities and a greater lifespan at the cost of one's sanity, and is potent at much lower doses. It is this reason that he is still alive, and still has the body of someone in his early thirties."

Raijin cleared his throat. "If his fighting is to be believed, he would be classed as a two, possibly three-star meister even without the black matter. He fights purely on instinct, but his moves were precise, deceptive, and swift, if somewhat rambunctious and inefficient. On top of that, it would not surprise me of Gato bolstered his forces since the last time Leaf shinobi were involved. We'll have to pick our fights carefully."

Seeing the slightly lost looks on his two teammates, Naruto explained. "A three-star meister is the highest rank weapon weilder, limited mostly to senior-level instructors and Death Scythe wielders. In other words, if you see a three-star meister, run."

"Correct," Shinigami replied. "Yes, speaking of that, you two, Raijin, Kid, should you find Shiratoma again, you are authorized and ordered to eliminate him and acquire his soul. Use discretion, but use whatever means necessary to complete your task when the opportunity arises. Now, leave, I want to talk to these three alone, and I don't want interference from either of you. Got it?"

"Understood." Both acknowledged the request and swiftly left the premises.

"Good, now there's something I need you three to understand. Naruto, you are undergoing Soul Resonance training with Raijin, am I correct?"

"Yes, Shinigami," Naruto replied.

"Now, I am sorry to do this, but although the information I am going to give is of great importance, I believe it is in the best interest for the entire team to hear and understand what I am about to say. However, I will not go through with it without your consent, Naruto, as it involves the day you were born, Naruto, and what transpired that day."

The day that Naruto was born was the day that the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Leaf Village and was ultimately sealed. The only reason that his teammates were not likely to make the connection was that Naruto never bothered to tell anyone, other than a few of his teachers, what day his birthday was on. He never got close to anyone else other than the Hokage, and the old man already knew what the day was. Also, most of the younger generation only knew that the Nine-Tailed Fox was defeated, not that it was sealed rather than destroyed.

"I-I'm not so sure," Naruto studdered.

"Whatever secret you hold, I doubt that it is that big of a deal," Sasuke consoled, in whatever way he could. Still, it came off more out of apathy or even arrogance, like holding the biggest secret was some sort of bragging right.

"Yeah," Sakura chimed in. Whether she agreed with Sasuke because it seemed right or because it was _Sasuke_ she was agreeing with was difficult to discern. Then again, it usually was.

"It's not so simple, I'm afraid," Shinigami interrupted. "If Naruto is to give his secret, it must be in the confidence that you tell absolutely no one else, save for the Hokage and Kakashi Hatake, that you were given this information. Revealing this information to anyone your age may result in your execution under the law of the Leaf."

"Damn," Sasuke swore. "I don't care, though. As much as we may not get along, we are a team, and we must work together."

Sakura went pale. The thought of carrying a secret, especially one she had to defend with her life, felt like a daunting task for one as willing to gossip as she was. Granted, Ino Yamanaka, her eternal rival, was worse yet, but, then again, Ino was the biggest gossip on the block and held that title with pride and honor. Ultimately, though, she found her resolve. "I agree. We are a team, and we cannot keep secrets from each other."

"All right, Naruto, do you want to say it, or should I?" Shinigami waited patiently for the answer.

"I will," Naruto said. "Sasuke, Sakura, the Nine-Tailed Fox wasn't killed on the day it attacked our village; it was sealed away."

"All right," Sasuke said after a moment's notice. "I understand that we don't want other villages in on this information, but why the secrecy between us, and why is it grounds for execution if it gets out?"

"It isn't," Shinigami said. "It isn't _that_ the fox is sealed, it is _where._ Naruto, I think the best explanation is to simply show them."

Naruto hesitated, but ultimately complied, lifting up his shirt and showing his abdomen for all to see. A swirl mark, circumscribed with small, illegible glyphs at eight distinct points, was drawn on his skin like a tattoo.

"Good, now that that is out of the way," Shinigami said jovially.

"Wait," Sakura interrupted, "too fast. You mean that tattoo is the only thing separating us from another disaster? And why is it that it is in _you_, rather than an adult? What does it feel like?"

Naruto reeled. "Too many questions. Well, a baby was necessary for the sealing, and I was born on the same day that the fox attacked. And, yes, the seal is what's holding it back, but it won't budge."

"Good, now that's out of the way." Shinigami repeated clasped his hands together.

"One more question," Sasuke interrupted. "Is this the reason that some of the villagers…"

"Hate me, yes," Naruto admitted. "More accurately, a few of them fear me, but I think a lot of them are just annoyed that they have to keep it a secret, and are frustrated with it all. At least, that's what Raijin told me."

"All right, are you all finished?" Shinigami asked. Noting no response in the negative, he sighed. "All right, now that everything is _finally_ out of the way…"

"Shinigami, sir." The voice originated from the other side of the mirror.

"NOW WHAT!" The usually cheerful voice of the Shinigami was now deep, gravelly, and menacing, so much so that all three Genin instinctively took a step back. Meanwhile, Shinigami disappeared from the mirror, presumably off to address whomever interrupted their call. Fortunately, the scary-sounding voice didn't remain much longer. "Oh, I'll have to see to that, Spirit. Give Doctor Stein my regards on the matter, and tell him that he has absolute freedom to research the theory further. Tell him that him to personally give me a progress report by next Friday evening. Tally-ho."

"Who was that?" Sakura asked Naruto. With Shinigami out of visual range, and the four representatives of the DWMA, Kid's two guns included, left to their own devices, Naruto was naturally the only one left who had a remote clue as to what the heck was going on.

"One of the death scythes, Spirit Albain, and one who stays at the Academy alongside Death. Most of the other death scythes are stationed around the world." Just as Naruto finished, the Shinigami reappeared.

"Now, the issue regarding your soul resonance training. Raijin has confirmed that your training is actually weakening the fox inside of you significantly. No, it is more accurate to say that the fox's soul is literally breaking apart under the force of resonance."

"That's doesn't even seem possible," Naruto replied.

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but while the fox itself may be powerful, its soul is incredibly volatile and tense, like a balloon almost ready to burst. More accurately, it is so full of evil and bloodlust, accumulated over perhaps hundreds of years, that its soul is barely able to contain it: there is precedence for that, and rather recently, too. If it bursts, the fox will likely cease to exist, but all that pent-up darkness will be released into your body. What happens then is anybody's guess. Under most circumstances, it will simply leave your body as quickly as it arrived, but it may also linger for months or even years. Sasuke, Sakura, you and your sensei will have to be responsible for helping Naruto keep that in check. Worst case, you will have to leave Naruto plenty of space to vent, in more ways than one.

"Lastly, do not miss the next meeting. Spirit has just told me that Stein has just made a breakthrough in regards to the effects of Soul Resonance in regards to your tenant, Naruto, but I want to make sure that the results are confirmed first. No use giving unreliable information is there?"

"Actually, there may be," Sasuke said.

"Let me repeat myself: there is no use giving unreliable information, is there?" Shinigami asked again. Apparently, the question was rhetorical, and the three of them caved in, not because he was correct, but because of three other reasons. One, he was the God of Death. Two, he can be quite stubborn. Three, being the God of Death and stubborn was not a pleasant combination. "Good, dismissed." With that, the mirror flashed, and the Shinigami was replaced with the reflection of the three Genin, and the reflection of one Jōnin who happened to walk in at just the right time, with offending literary materials in his hand.

"Did I miss something?"

All three of the Genin were going through the same emotion: disappointment that Kakashi's tardiness had probably spared his life.


End file.
